UK Lists 2 Ways to Apply for Citizenship Fee Waiver
- The UK Home Office has outlined two application routes for children under 18 who cannot afford to pay the British citizenship fee
- Eligible children can apply via the specified ways, with each route carrying specific requirements that applicants must meet before proceeding
- A parent or legal guardian can submit the fee waiver application on behalf of a child, and can include multiple children in a single application
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
The UK Home Office has outlined two ways for children under 18 to apply for a British citizenship fee waiver.
This development offered families who cannot afford the cost a formal route to seek relief.
Source: UGC
The fee waiver is available to children who are eligible for British citizenship but whose parents or guardians are unable to cover the application cost due to financial hardship.
Qualifying circumstances include being unable to afford basic housing or essential living costs such as food and heating, or situations where paying the fee would directly affect a child's welfare.
How to Apply Online or by Post
The two available routes are an online application and a postal application, and the choice between them carries practical consequences.
Families who apply online and receive approval must also complete the subsequent citizenship application online.
If completing both steps online is not possible, the postal route should be used from the start.
Applicants from Guernsey or Jersey are required to apply by post and cannot use the online option. Residents of the Isle of Man are currently unable to use this fee waiver at all.
For the online route, applicants will need to upload an identity document such as a passport, national identity card, or a biometric residence permit.
Financial information is also required, including bank statements, payslips showing household earnings, and documents confirming household expenses such as rent.
For the postal route, families must complete a Child Citizenship Fee Waiver Request Form and send it to the address printed on the form.
What Happens After You Apply
Once an application is submitted, the Home Office will send a confirmation email. If the waiver is approved, the applicant receives a personalised code, referred to as a "token," which must then be used when completing the citizenship application.
A parent or legal guardian is permitted to apply on behalf of a child and can include additional children in the same application, which reduces the administrative burden for larger families.
One important exception applies to children who are being looked after by a local authority. These children should not apply for the fee waiver.
Instead, they should submit evidence of their care arrangement alongside the UK citizenship application itself, and the fee will be waived automatically.
The Home Office also clarifies that if a child turns 18 before a decision is reached on the fee waiver application, they may still proceed with the citizenship application under child provisions, provided they were under 18 when they originally applied.
UK mentions long-term visa route for foreign graduates
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that UK government posted a publication about different visa applications and their duration for applicants.
Graduate visa allows foreign graduates to remain in the country for at least 18 months after completing an eligible degree.
Source: Legit.ng
